strathspey@strathspey.org:45492

Martin

Re: Regarding Dance Technique and Etiquette

June 9, 2006, 7:43 p.m. (Message 45492, in reply to message 45485)

Thomas G. Mungall, III wrote:
> 
> This is where when couples are turning, the hands are offered 
> vertically, palms to palms and the thumbs linked and elbows pointing 
> down.

The hand position, sounds like what every did on Irish dance (40 years
ago! don't know what they do now), and I always found it convenient and
comfortable. I never encountered any awkwardness concerning the thumbs,
in fact I still can't quite see how thumbs can be linked. It was palm
to palm, each person looking at the back of the other person's hand, and
felt firm and comfortable.

The same grip is commonly used among French traditional dancers, and 
although I
insist on handshake hold on country dancing, I still like the
palm-to-palm style in celidh dancing, as it is firm for a
good fast turn than tha handshake hold.
If this were not true, why do (some) SCDers turn their orthodox
handshake into a kind of knot, twisting their wrists in order to get a
firm grip in 2-bar turns?
That is something I am not at all keen on.

Martin